"What in the world is this…"
Everyone gaped at the unbelievable scene in front of them. Rey rubbed his eyes as if he was trying to see if the image would clear out. Lan Deming gripped his newly acquired daggers tightly. Madan was frozen in shock.
Only the elf was lamenting loudly, unwillingness written all over his face.
"No. No. This cannot happen."
"This has to be a mistake."
"There is no way." "There simply cannot be two slaughter trials in a single segment. It is unheard of!"
Eldrin shook his head, his eyes wide at the sight in front of him. There was a huge pyramid glittering in gold, except that it was no treasure. The ominous thing might glitter like a treasure but it was steeped in rich killing intent. An ancient aura wafted out of the structure giving off tremendous pressure on the surroundings.
The entire pyramid was floating mid-air surrounded by a vast expanse of emptiness, as if it was suspended in a void. Below it, a myriad of platforms hovered at different heights just like the one they were currently standing on.
But that was not the worst part. The worst part was the other trail takers visible on the multitude of platforms which were shifting here and there, floating about in the void. They were definitely not alone and this was definitely not just one of the other floors.
This had to be a slaughter trial floor!
And from the looks of it, those who managed to reach the damned pyramid hanging in the sky would cross over to the next level.
At first sight, it seemed simple enough but how could the Spire be so kind? Just as the group was taking in the surroundings like the numerous others who got teleported into something unexpected, one of the platforms floating in the distance started shaking violently.
After shaking for a few seconds, the platform out of nowhere exploded into a cascade of shimmering dust, the remnants of its existence scattering into the void. The group on that platform, caught completely off guard, plummeted towards the abyss, their screams fading into silence. The sudden violence of the event sent a chilling message to all the onlookers: mistakes were fatal here.
The realization that the platforms were not safe havens but potential death traps changed the dynamics of the trial. Everyone snapped into action. Powerful auras erupted on numerous platforms as the trial takers immediately started taking action. The distance between the pyramid and everyone's starting position was quite significant so it was not like they could reach the pyramid in a couple of jumps.
Liam, absorbing the scene, muttered under his breath, "So, it begins." He turned to his group, his expression grim. "This trial is as much about survival as it is about strategy. Those platforms are rigged to eliminate groups at random, or perhaps based on certain triggers we are yet to understand. We need to get to that pyramid, but we need to do so carefully."
Madan, shaking off his initial shock, clenched his fists. "So, staying put isn't an option. We move, but how do we avoid becoming like them?" he asked, gesturing towards the spot where the platform had been.
Liam scanned the floating platforms and the pyramid, his mind racing for answers. "We observe and we adapt." "Those platforms might have traps or triggers for elimination. Let's keep a close eye on the movements of the others and the pyramid's reactions. There may be patterns or safe paths to follow."
"And… we just need to keep moving. As long as we keep moving, maybe we will be fine." This is all he could conclude right now.
Eldrin, recovering his composure, added, "Perhaps the pyramid itself offers clues. Ancient constructs like these often follow a set of rules or logic, even in their traps."
Rey nodded. "Then let's not waste any time. The sooner we figure this out, the better."
The group cautiously moved forward, testing the stability of their platform before daring to leap towards the next. They watched as some groups rushed forward with reckless abandon, only to trigger their platforms to shake violently, a clear sign of impending doom.
Thankfully, it was not unhinged utter madness. After a few seconds of observation, there indeed seemed to be some method to this madness. Not all platforms were the same. The platforms emitting a dull soft aura seemed stable, while those that flickered ominously were often the ones that were on the verge of collapsing. The only thing was these auras were extremely fickle in the presence of the overpowering aura of the pyramid and also the presence of the other trial takers. Rich sanguine aura doused many of the platforms which made it impossible to discern the state of the adjacent platforms. This meant that only the platform clusters that did not have many occupied platforms adjacent to them could be analyzed.
Also, this type of blood-red aura was not rare. Corroborating Rey's observation from the previous battleground, dense sanguine auras lit up left and right. Once again, they seemed to be in a slaughter trial in which the majority of the participants were vampires.
"I told you I wasn't seeing some illusion." Rey sucked in a big breath.
This time the elf was out of explanations as he too could only dumbfoundedly nod. "How can there be so many bloodsuckers in a single trial? This is impossible!"
"Maybe they are indeed preparing for some sort of war..."
"Ok. That's enough. Let's focus on crossing over to the pyramid first," Liam cut in, silencing the growing discussion among the group. "Speculations won't help us survive this trial. Right now, our priority is to navigate through these platforms safely."
His voice snapped back everyone to reality, preventing them from getting swept up in the overwhelming flow of the surroundings. It was easy to simply stand dazed in this place as the ancient aura emanating from the pyramid had that sort of effect on everyone.
"There!" Liam pointed to a platform on their right. "That should be our next step."